Julian Tavarez, the Washington Nationals and Jennifer Lopez

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty ImagesWashington reliever Julian Tavarez said the Nationals are his Jennifer Lopez.

JUPITER, Fla. -- As the Mets play the Florida Marlins on a quiet afternoon at Roger Dean Stadium, we turn our attention north to Viera, spring training home of the Washington Nationals.

Compared to the Mets' other division rivals, the Nationals are seldom worth mentioning here. They don't have any MVP or Cy Young candidates. But for Quote of the Year, consider Nationals pitcher Julian Tavarez the new front-runner.

Tavarez signed a minor-league contract with Washington on Friday, something he was not inclined to do when initially given the opportunity last offseason. So why did Tavarez sign with the Nationals now?

"Why did I sign with the Nationals? When you go to a club at 4 in the morning, and you're just waiting, waiting, a 600-pounder looks like J. Lo. And to me this is Jennifer Lopez right here. It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. So, Nationals: Jennifer Lopez to me."

In somewhat less entertaining news, John Maine gave up four runs in four innings against the Marlins.